Is 250 amps battery at 24 volts enough capacity?

[belfert]

I am most likely going to replace my bank of 8 golf cart batteries.  I put them next to the engine on a stainless steel tray, but they are causing problems with servicing the air compressor and other things on that side of the motor.

I have not been impressed with the golf cart batteries so I want to switch to AGM batteries and move them inside the bus.  I don't want to sacrifice any bay space.  I am looking at using four 6 volt AGM batteries rated at 250 AH.

Anyhow, does anyone think I will be happy with 250 amps of capacity at 24 volts?  I would like to only runthe generator once a day.  I have a household fridge at 1.2 amps running off a Prosine 3000 inverter.  One of the other big draws is the 12 volt Proheat X45 heater, but I only go out in spring/summer/fall so the heater shouldn't run much.  I like the AGM batteries so I can charge them faster and run the generator less.

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Brian,

I have 1000 amp hrs. at 12 volts and that is just enough for me..  But, I'm all electric!

It sounds like you would have half the bank that I have if it were 12v.

Good Luck
Nick-

[H3Jim]

I have 600 amp hours of AGM's at 24 volts.  solar panels, super efficient refer, all electric.  Very happy.

Hard to say if you'll be happy or not.  The AGM's can be run down to less than 50% without damaging them, unlike the ones you have now.  If you park in a no generator zone, and need power, you may not be happy.  If you're driving every day, and catch a full charge all the time, you might.  With just a generator, you may not ever get a full charge, except when you are driving. 

There are many variables that will affect you.

[belfert]

If I buy AGM batteries I don't really have the funds to go beyond 250 AH right now.  I may yet keep the golf cart batteries and just relocate them since they are over 400AH.  A gentleman in the battery industry for years said that batteries in series will work better than batteries in parallel as the bank with most resistance will limit the charging.  (Not sure I believe this.)

If I used the bus a lot more I would get more batteries, but I generally make two trips a year.  I can run the generator a lot for the cost of more batteries.

The places I go I can usually run the generator 24x7 if I want.  I am building a Genturi type exhaust stack this summer.

I suppose I can try 250AH on my first trip this year and add another string if needed.

[luvrbus]

you are not going to be happy with 250 amps one bag of popcorn in the mircowave through the inverter is about all you are going to get from 250 amps  but if you need 2 more 6v AGM I have 2 in AZ you can have they are about a year old.Aren't the 6V 224 amp each 4 would give 448 amp at 12 volt or 224 at 24 volt

[belfert]

The 6 volt batteries I am looking at are 250AH so yes, I would have 500AH at 12 volts.  My battery bank is 24 volt so I would have 250AH with four 6 volt batteries.

[luvrbus]

Belfert, you are welcome to these I have manufactured by Lifeline 224 amps at 75 degrees weight 67# each

[belfert]

Curious why you would get rid of these expensive AGM batteries?  Which Lifeline model number?

[luvrbus]

Belfert, when I bought the batteries I paid for the model gpl-6c 300 amp and after I had them for about 6 mo 1 went bad and that's when I found out I had gpl-4c I was not a happy camper so they replaced the 8  gpl-4c batteries with the gpl-6c and told to keep the others because they did not want to pay the  shipping back. I have given 6 away and that is the story about the batteries

[belfert]

I thought about this whole issue on my way home and I realized if I don't buy enough batteries up front I won't have a matched set if I decide I need more later.

What about the idea of seperate 12 volt and 24 volt banks?  I would run the inverter, 24V lighting, and 24V water pumps off the 24 volt bank and 12 volt loads off the 12 volt bank.  I would get a smart charger for the 12 volt bank.  My only concern would be running the 12 volt Proheat X45 heater off the 12 volt bank.

I'm thinking two seperate banks would allow me to buy batteries of different sizes and date codes for the two banks.  The date codes and sizes have to match within each bank certainly.

[Jerry W Campbell]

I had a 1.2 amp 120 volt refer with a prosine 3000 inverter. It used about 150 amps 12 volts a day at about 80 deg.
I do not think you will be happy with 250 amps at 24 volts.
I have 1680 amps of 6 volt L16H Trojans
Good Luck
Jerry

[jjrbus]

I set my battery area up for 4 L16 batteries. But at the recomendation of Fast Fred who said to start out with a learner set of cheap batteries I used 4 golf cart batteries @ 24V. I have had them about 6 years and they work well for me. I do have LP water heater and cook with LP.  I tend to be conservative with energy and can run for about 1 day without chargeing the batteries.

[PP]

The 250 AH setup I have in mine is fine for watching TV and running the Satelite receiver, (Priorities  ) but if I were going to add anymore load on the inverter side, I'd be looking to upgrade. Everything else is 12v/24v/gas or generator (AC-Microwave). For 2 trips a year, I'd be hard put to justify the expense of more batteries vs generator when batteries only last so long whether they're used or not. Good luck, Will

[TomC]

I have the same setup, but with 510 amps at 12v (about the same ultimate power).  Your reefer will pull about 6 amps at 24v.  So figuring 50% run time, that's 3 amps per hour, or 75 amps (with inverter loss) in 24 hours.  If you're going to buy the 250 amp 6V, why not pay just a bit more for the 300 amp Lifelines available now?  I know when my 2 8D Lifelines at 255 amp hours apiece go belly up, I'm going to change to the 300 amp 6v, since they weigh in at 93 lbs compared to the gorilla 155lbs of the 8D's.  Yes you can mount them indoors, and you can mount them any way you want, with being upside down not preferred.  But you can lay them down!  Good Luck, TomC

[luvrbus]

TomC if you want the 300 amp Lifeline this place has them and will deal over if you buy over 4   www.bestconverter.com